3 ways radiologists can fend off repetitive stress injury

Radiologists reading digital imaging exams move their mouses much more and tap their keypads far less than computer-bound nonradiologist workers, and that’s just one of several factors contributing to the rise of repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) in radiologists.

The American College of Radiology’s Commission on Human Resources breaks down the problem and recommends ways rads can avoid some nagging RSIs to which they’re especially susceptible—carpal tunnel syndrome, back strain, shoulder trouble and more—in an article published online Aug. 18 in JACR.

“The digital workplace in radiology presents many ergonomic challenges,” write Gordon Sze, MD, of Yale and colleagues. “Although the shift away from hard copies to PACS and digital imaging has become almost universal in the United States, radiology departments have lagged in realizing that these changes create conditions that mandate changes in the work environment.”

Full story can be found on Health Imaging.